A working mom's life in front of and behind the camera.

Polish & Proud

Today is the day before Ash Wednesday, or as the Polish like to call it, Paczki Day!

If you’re not from the Midwest then chances are you have not tried this delicious and calorie packed treat.

First off, it is not a jelly doughnut. While it may appear similar, a paczki is made with a richer and sweeter yeast dough, lard or butter, eggs, sugar, and sometimes milk.

The sweet treat was a way for people to use up the food in their home in anticipation for Lent.

The Polish have so many great foods. I could live off pierogi and let’s not for kielbasa (sausage), golabki (stuffed cabbage rolls), kapusta (sauerkraut), kluski (potato noodles), and czarnina (duck blood soup). Chances are if you could read or pronounce any of the foods I just listed, you or someone that cooks for you is Polish.

In honor of my Polish heritage I’d like to share one of my favorite meals. It’s a dish perfected by my Aunt Carol. Every holiday we have, the family requests that she make this noodle dish. Even my Irish/German husband (and now my son) loves this meal.

You can serve it as a main meal or a side and it’s great to take to family reunions or other gathers since it can be kept warm in a crock pot.

Kapusta Noodles

Ingredients:

Two 28 oz cans sauerkraut

1 large box shell noodles

1 large onion

1 lb butter (may not need to use at all)

1/4 lb farmers cheese

Directions:

Cook noodles as directed; cool.

Drain & rinse kraut.

Put kraut in large pan with water. Boil for 5 minutes. Drain and cool.

Chop onion.

Melt 1 stick butter and fry onions until transparent.

Take a handful of kraut and squeeze as much water out as possible.

Cut kraut into finer pieces.

Add kraut to frying onions. Add more butter as needed so kraut does not burn. Salt & pepper to taste.